This invention relates to a connector having a terminal vibration preventing mechanism which is applied to an automobile or the like, and more particularly to a connector having a terminal vibration preventing mechanism which is used at a low current electrical connection section of an automobile or the like.
A conventional connector used at a low current electrical connection section is as shown in FIGS. 18 through 23.
In FIG. 18, reference numeral 270 designates a male type connecting terminal which is inserted into a connector which is used in a conventional low current electrical connection section. The connecting terminal 270 is made of a metal plate as one unit, and its one end portion is a tab-shaped contact section 171 while its other end portion is wire punching section. The wire punching section is made up of a cover punching section 272a adapted to punch the cover portion of a wire 290, and a conductor punching section 272b adapted to punch the conductor of the wire.
The connecting terminal 270 includes a substantially box-shaped locking section 273 at the middle, a locking hole 274 formed in the lower surface of the locking section 273, and a guide piece 275 which is formed by cutting and raising a part of the lower surface in such a manner that the guide piece 275 is protruded downwardly from a part of the side surface. Furthermore, with respect to the locking section 273 and the tab-shaped contact section 271, the upper surface thereof is lower on the tab-shaped contact section side, and the right and left side surfaces are narrower on the tab-shaped contact section side. And the locking sections 273 and the contact section 271 are coupled through a coupling section 276 which is symmetrical.
FIG. 19 is a sectional side view of a housing 260 forming the connector. FIG. 20 is a view of the housing taken in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 19. FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of essential parts of the housing (FIG. 19) taken in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 19. FIG. 22 is an enlarged sectional view showing another example of the housing (FIG. 21). FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram for a description of the vibration of the connecting terminal which occurs when the connecting terminal is inserted into the connector.
As shown in FIGS. 19 through 23, the housing 260 is substantially cylindrical. The housing 260 has a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 261, and a hood section 262 which is extended from the terminal accommodating chambers. The latter 261 are adapted to accommodate connecting terminals which is connected to wires. The hood section 262 accommodates the mating connector. On the lower surface 263 of each of the terminal accommodating chambers 261, a flexible locking piece 264 and an guide groove 265 are provided. The flexible locking piece 264 is extended inwardly from the inserting inlet of the connecting terminal 170. The guide groove 265 is formed along the flexible locking piece. The guide piece 175 of the connecting terminal 270 is slid along the guide groove 265.
The free end portion of the flexible locking piece 264 of the terminal accommodating chamber 261 has a locking protrusion 266, and a flexible space 267 is formed below the latter 266. The hood section 26 has a upright inner wall 268 at the deep. The inner wall 268 has a plurality of contact section engaging holes 269. Through the latter 269, the tap-shaped contact sections of the contact terminals 270 (which are accommodated in the terminal accommodating chambers 261) are protruded into the hood section 262. FIG. 21 is an enlarged sectional view showing the configuration of the contact section engaging hole 269 shown in FIG. 20; more specifically, the relationships between the tab-shaped contact section 271 and the inner wall 268.
In the above-described connector, the housing 260 and the connecting terminal 270 are constructed as described above. Hence, when the connecting terminal 270 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 261 of the housing 260, the lower surface of the locking section 273 of the connecting terminal bends the flexible locking piece 264 downwardly (in the direction of the arrow B) which is provided on the lower surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 261, so that the connecting terminal is allowed to move forwardly. When the locking hole 274 formed in the lower surface of the locking section comes to the locking protrusion 266 which is formed at the free end portion of the flexible locking piece, the locking protrusion is allowed to rise, thus engaging with the locking hole 274. Hence, the connecting terminal 270 is supported in the terminal accommodating chamber 261, and is prevented from coming off the latter 261.
However, as was described above, when the locking protrusion 266 of the flexible locking piece 264 is engaged with the locking hole 274 of the connecting terminal 270, the connecting terminal 270 is prevented from coming off the terminal accommodating chamber 261, and therefore it is vibrated in the direction of bending of the flexible locking piece 264. Hence, as shown in FIG. 23, the tab-shaped contact section 271 of the connecting terminal 270 is swung in the contact section engaging hole 269 formed in the inner wall 268, thus being inclined xcex8 degrees with respect to the central line C of the regular position; that is, so-called xe2x80x9cterminal vibrationxe2x80x9d occurs.
This problem may be solved by employing the following method: The width of the contact engaging hole 269 is made equal to the width of the tab-shaped contact section 271 as much as possible, or the latter is engaged with the former in a press-fit mode; however, the latter method makes the insertion characteristic of the connector.
On the other hand, because of the recent tendency of miniaturization of connecting terminals, the width of the locking protrusion 266 of the flexible locking piece 264 is substantially equal to the width of the tab-shaped contact section 271 of the connecting terminal 270, or the width of the tab-shaped contact section 271 is decreased, and the width of the contact section engaging hole 269 of the inner wall has the same dimension. Therefore, if a flexible space for the flexible locking piece 264 is obtained, then it is impossible to obtain a space for correcting the vibration of the terminal. For instance, as shown in FIG. 22, by decreasing the width of the flexible locking piece 264 the space for correcting the vibration of the terminal can be obtained; however, the holding force of the flexible locking piece 264; that is, the connecting terminal 270 may come off backwardly.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to correct the postures of the connecting terminals in the housing, and to positively support the connecting terminals in the housing, thereby to prevent the end portions of the connecting terminals from being vibrated from their regular positions.
The foregoing object of the invention has been achieved by the provision of a connector having a vibration preventing mechanism which comprises:
a connecting terminal which is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber of a resin housing, and comprises
an elongated tab-shaped contact section which is inserted into a hood section, a fixing section adapted to fix the end portion of a wire, and a locking section having locking hole in the lower surface of the substantial middle portion thereof which is engaged with a flexible locking piece formed in the housing, and
a contact section engaging hole formed in the inner wall forming the deep section of the hood section which is adapted to engaged with an mating connector, and in which the tab-shaped contact section is inserted;
in which
near the junction of the tab-shaped contact section of the connecting terminal and the locking section, a vibration preventing piece is formed which extends towards the tab-shaped contact section, and
in the side surface of the contact section engaging hole in the housing, a support section is formed against which the vibration preventing piece is abutted.
In the connector with the terminal vibration preventing mechanism, near the joint of the elongated tab-shaped contact section provided at one end of the connecting terminal and the locking section provided substantially at the middle, the vibration preventing piece is formed in such a manner that it is extended towards the tab-shaped contact section on the side surface of the locking section, and the support section against which the vibration preventing piece of the connecting terminal abuts is formed in the contact section engaging hole formed in the inner wall of the housing.
Accordingly, the vibration preventing piece is wider than the tab-shaped contact section provided on the side surface of the joint of the elongated tab-shaped contact section provided at one end of the connecting terminal and the locking section provided substantially at the middle. When the tap-shaped contact section thus constructed is inserted in the terminal accommodating chamber of the housing, it is abutted against the support section of the contact section engaging hole of the housing, so that the connecting terminal is positively supported. Hence, the posture of the connecting terminal is corrected, and the terminal vibration that would shift the terminal from the regular position is positively prevented, so that it is engaged suitably with the mating connecting terminal.
Furthermore, when the vibration preventing piece which is larger in width than the tab-shaped contact section is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber of the housing, the vibration preventing piece goes therein while the vibration preventing piece is abutting against the side wall of the terminal accommodating chamber. Hence, the end of the tab-shaped contact section is held at the regular position. Therefore, the end of the tab-shaped contact section can be readily inserted into the contact section engaging hole; that is, the work of inserting the connecting terminal into the terminal accommodating chamber is achieved smoothly and quickly.
Furthermore, the above-described object of the invention is achieved by making the width of the tab-shaped contact section equal to or smaller than the width of the flexible locking piece.
In the above-described connector with the terminal vibration preventing mechanism, the width of the tab-shaped contact section is made equal to or smaller than that of the flexible locking piece. Both the connecting terminal and the housing can be smoothly miniaturized.
Furthermore, the above-described object of the invention is achieved by the provision of the connector in which the vibration preventing piece of the tab-shaped contact section is supported by the support section in a press-fit mode.
In the above-described connector with the terminal vibration preventing mechanism, the vibration preventing piece of the tab-shaped contact section is press-fitted in the support section and positively supported. Hence, the posture of the connecting terminal thus inserted is corrected, and the connecting terminal is positively prevented from being vibrated, and the is suitably engaged with the mating connecting terminal.
Moreover, the above-described object of the invention is achieved by the provision of a connector having a vibration preventing mechanism
which comprises
a tab-shaped contact section which is contactable with a mating connecting terminal
a locking section which, when accommodated in a connector housing, is engaged with a terminal accommodating, and
a coupling section through which the locking section is coupled to the tab-shaped contact section, and
in which
the tab-shaped contact section is made up of a lower metal plate, and an upper metal plate which is formed by folding one side edge portion of the lower metal plate, and
a connecting terminal is inserted in which the joint of the lower metal plate and the upper metal plate is faced sidewardly at the position along the opposite side edge;
in which, according to the invention,
a vibration preventing piece which abuts against the connector housing to prevent the vertical vibration of the end of the tab-shaped contact section is protruded near the coupling section of the tab-shaped contact section.
In the above-described connector with the terminal vibration preventing mechanism, the vibration preventing piece which abuts against the connector housing to prevent the vertical vibration of the end of the tab-shaped contact section is protruded from near the coupling section of the tab-shaped contact section.
Accordingly, with the vibration preventing piece of the connecting terminal which is inserted into the housing abutted against the housing, the posture of the connecting terminal thus inserted is corrected, and the connecting terminal is prevented from being vibrated, and is suitably engaged with the mating connecting terminal.
In addition, the above-described object of the invention is achieved by the provision of the connector having the vibration preventing mechanism,
in which, according to the invention,
the vibration preventing piece is protruded from the side edge of the tab-shaped contact section where the joint of the upper metal plate and the lower metal plate is located.
In the above-described connector with the terminal vibration preventing mechanism, the vibration preventing piece is protruded from side edge of the tab-shaped contact section where the joint of the upper and lower metal plates is located.
Accordingly, the vibration preventing piece can be manufactured readily by blanking and bending a metal piece, which contributes to a reduction of the manufacturing cost of the connector.